NBA Draft Winners and Losers

Dude…

The NBA Draft took place last Thursday. With a ton of anticipation and excitement for 58 young men as dreams were fulfilled to hear their names called to be officially invited to the NBA. For others, their long journey to this point took a tragic turn as they did not hear their names called. Former NCAA Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe, Gonzaga Star Drew Timmie, and NCAA champion Adama Sanogo are part of that group. Highly respected college athletes with national recognition did not hear their names called. The NBA is a completely different game than college. The college game is based around big men and getting into a pick-and-roll action. Guys like Tshiebwe and Sanogo strived on getting a position on the block and finishing at the rim. The NBA is based on fast-paced, get-up-and-down-the-floor shooting. Guys like Tshiebwe and Sango both struggle to get up-and-down the floor. Drew Timmie’s under-the-basket style, doesn’t work well in the NBA today. For the 58 young athletes that did hear their names called, the journey starts here. Some athletes ended up in great situations. Some got picked in positions that seem to be head-scratching. Here are my top 3 biggest winners and losers of the NBA Draft.

Winners

Jarace Walker to the Pacers- I love this pick by the Pacers. Jarace Walker led the Houston Cougars to a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before losing in the Sweet Sixteen to a very hot Miami Hurricanes team. Jarace Walker who averaged just over 11 points a game, 7 rebounds, and just over a block a game, will help the Pacers out drastically. With all-star potential guard Tyrese Haliburton coming back from injury, Walker adds much-needed depth to their frontcourt. With Bennidict Mathurin coming into his second season, the backcourt of the Pacers looks mighty impressive and looks to make massive strives next season. Miles Turner continues to be a solid big in the NBA and with Walker coming into the fold, this young starting line-up looks to take a shot at their first playoff appearance since 2019. Look for Walker to be a great pick for the Pacers in the future.

Gradey Dick to the Raptors- Yes I know I’m a KU diehard, so I had to put Dick in the winners. Gradey was one of the best shooting prospects to come out of this draft. Biased or not, it’s the truth. Dick seemed to be going to Orlando (who desperately needs shooting but decided to take Jett Howard) and Gradey found himself falling one spot lower to the Raptors. The Raptors had some success last season, making it to the NBA Play-in before losing to Chicago. You can thank Demar’s daughter for that one. Now, the Raptors have all-star Fred VanVleet opting out of his player option and becoming a free agent. The Raptors saw a better-looking prospect and almost the exact same play style as VanVleet. Dick finds himself in a brilliant situation to see if he can help this Raptors team find success once again. His outfit at the draft may not have been the best fit, however, Dick couldn’t have asked for a better place to start his career at.

Jamie Jaquez Jr. to the Heat- I don’t think the Heat could have asked for a better guy to fit in with their roster. Jamie Jaquez Jr. played at UCLA for 4 years that lead the Bruins to go to the Final Four. Jaime averaged 13 points, 6 rebounds, and shot over 30% from 3. The Heat found themselves in the NBA Finals this past season. Mr. Himmy Buckets couldn’t outlast the Joker, but a lot of pieces may be rotating from Miami. With Gabe Vincent and Max Strus both being unrestricted free agents next year, Miami needs to hope one will at least sign with them this offseason. The Heat really needed some more bigs that could shoot as Bam Adebayo got tired in thr Finals trying to slow down Joker. The Heat had Cody Zeller as one of their only backup bigs. Jaquez brings that size Miami desperately needs. He can shoot the three and space the floor. Himmy Buckets and company should be THRILLED with the attitude towards basketball that Jaquez poses. It matches Heat culture, and Jamie looks to be a key role player next year for the Heat.

Losers

Orlando Magic- I didn’t the Magic missing on two top 10 draft picks but they certainly did! With the 6th pick, the Magic picked Anthony Black. I honestly love this pick. Anthony Black brings some versatility to this offense and can contribute coming off the bench. His shooting needs work, but if he can figure it out, he should be a great NBA player. The real loser is their 10th pick. The Magic need shooters. BAD. Makelle Fultz is an ok point guard but can’t really shoot. Their best player, Paolo Banchero, does shoot the ball well but does better being able to drive the ball and kick it out. On the board at 10 were top shooting prospects like Gradey Dick and Jordan Hawkins. The Magic decide to go with Jett Howard. Jett played at Michigan. Howard continued to demonstrate his shot needed work but had promise. Orlando needed a shooter who was already capable of making shots. Not the same player that they picked at pick number 6. Black and Howard’s game is a lot alike, which could be detrimental for the Magic. I don’t expect the Magic to be good anytime soon. The Howard pick makes me feel like it’s going to be a lot longer than I thought.

Bilal Coulibaly to the Wizards- This is another prospect I like, but don’t like the fit. The Wizards are in full rebuild mode after trading away Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis. They needed someone who was going to make an immediate impact on their team, and may become their next bright star. Bilal played with Wemby in France and had an incredible post-season run. His stock rose significantly due to his post-season play. However, during the regular season, Bilal struggled a lot on the offensive end. More than a lot, he STRUGGLED. Bilal has a terrific upside to his game, but is he a star in the making? Sure, someone can get in the gym and make `1000 shots a day, but will Bilal be that guy? Do you think this guy is going to be an all-star? I think he has the potential to, I just think this is a horrible fit for him and Washington isn’t starting off well for their rebuild.

Bigs in the NCAA- When I started this article, I mentioned a lot of big names did not get drafted. Oscar Tshiebwe, Drew Timmie, Adama Sanogo, and countless other bigs from the past few years strived in college but fell short in the NBA. There’s one explanation. Bigs aren’t the center of the NBA anymore. Steph Curry and countless other shooters changed the game forever. With NIL money now coming in through college, why not make your money being the big name in college? Drew Timmie could have made over 6 figures if he returned to Spokane. Instead, he finds himself on a 2-way contract trying to fight to just get into the league. The NBA is a shooting league now, and bigs aren’t high first-round picks anymore.